Finally......We Camino!!!

So we´ve been walking three days now.  We´ve only covered about 40 km, partly because of weather and partly because of getting our sea legs.  But we are having the time of our lives.  Kepa is doing amazingly well.  Happy, flirting with everyone, watching waitors (his favorite past time), eating all kinds of new foods (he is quite the fan of Basque piquillo peppers, which we of course only let him have in small doses....Kepa has always liked his chicken spicy---Seinfeld reference people!).  We feel much, much better about things, though our legs and shoulders are definately plenty tired.  Things going well.  Hoping for a couple of longer days the next two days.  It is supposed to warm up a bit. Thank goodness.

 May 20, Iruna (Pamplona) Basqueland/Spain

We started feeling better this day.  We had good weather in Pamplona (Iruna in Basque), did laundry, walked around the city, ate a great meal of pinxtos (second day in a row), and got our bags packed for the next morning´s walk.

The Plaza de la Castillians in Iruna.  A very pretty main square.

Just off the main square.  The Hemingway Pizza and Doner Kebab shop.  Really? Reallys?!?!?  I mean I love a couple of Hemingway´s novels, I love doner kebabs when I´m in a junk food binge, and a well done pizza is a thing of beauty.....but what do the three have to do with each other?

The interior of the Cafe Iruna, a well preserved and elegant 1920s bar on the main square. You can drink here with dignity.  And Jake Barnes did in The Sun Also Rises.

 May 21, Iruna to Uterga (17 km)

It was surreal to be walking out of Pamplona.  We walked up a gentle slope for several hours (finally turning steep) as we ascended a major hill (mountain?)....the ascent was through mustard fields and wheat fields, opening up on a beautiful cemetary next to a loan tree (where we ate lunch).  At the top there were neat cutout statues, then a descent.  Met a lot of awesome peregrinos, and several hangers on (whom we managed to ditch haha).  Kepa is quite the hit and averages 5 to 8 photographs a day.  And the spanish won´t finish pinching his cheeks.  Not kidding.

Bri, Kepa, and Mary Ann walk through beautiful fields before climbing a really steep mountain.  Everything was beautiful

Cervantes style cutouts on top of the mountain (under modern windmills).  Is is supposed to be a stunning view (up to 100 km) but we had drizzle and clouds.  But still a pretty view.  And either way, the day was warm enough and no real rain, so no complaints.

Todd, Brittany, and Kepa on the descent

 May 22, Uterga to Lorca (18.5 km plus a 4 km sidetrip to see a octagonal church)

A stunningly beautiful day.  We went out of our way to stop an an octagonal church.  A beautiful lunch in Puenta de la Reina along the river, and we walked through the wonderfully preserved medieval hilltop town of Ciraqui (Google it, you´ll be glad you did).

The route out of Uterga

The octagonal church in Eunate

Todd and Mary Ann walking toward Ciraqui

A cross along the way of St James

May 23, Lorca to Estella (9km)

A short day because it is cold and threatening to rain.  But a wonderful day and a nice meal in Estella.  And tomorrow we plan to walk 27 km to a beautiful medieval town.

Kepa enjoys a swing in downtown Lorca before we begin

Lots of political graffiti.  This one originall said You Are Not in Spain. Then changed to You Are Not Alone in The Old Spain. Then changed to You are Nothing in Spain. Then changed to simply You Are in Spain.

We thought this interesting in relation to the warring graffiti above. A pro Basque statement written around a yellow arrow marking the way of St. James. Anyone who says (like me in a prvious post) that the Basques in Navarra are less nationalistic or that the French Basques are not as Basque, is slightly misrepresenting things. I´ve never seen an area more self identified as Basque as I did in St Jean Pied de Port, and I continue to see Basque political statements all around Navarra.  And most menus are in Basque first, Castillian second.